gaya the pithru kshethra part-3 gathered by svk indra

GAYA - The Pithru Kshethra (Part-3) GAYA LEGENDS Gaya Kshetra has acquired lot of prominence in Hindu philosophy and it is dedicated to Pitru Devathas. In many pouranic scripts we find its mention and reference. There are many legends related to Gaya Kshetra and its Mahatmya. Some of them are, Legend of Gayasura and Vishnu Padam Once upon a time there lived a demon King called Gayasura who was a staunch devotee of Lord Maha Vishnu. Once he did a long penance and when Lord Vishnu appeared before him Gayasura asked him to give a boon so that where he lives would become the most sacred of all the theerthas and also who ever see him or touch him will attain Mukthi (salvation) immediately. The boon was granted by Lord Vishnu accordingly. Because of the boon everybody started attaining Mukthi and this has intruded the jurisdiction of Lord Yama who rules the death. Then the Trinity Lords approached Gayasura in the guise of Brahmins and asked him for a holy place to perform a sacred Yagna by them. They proposed to perform the Yagna on the body of Gayasura since it was very sacred and celestial by virtue of the boon given by Lord Vishnu which was accepted by Gayasura. The agreement was that the yagna would be held for seven days on the body of Gayasura during which time he was not supposed to get up and deviation of which Gayasura would have to face the death. This was actually a plot to kill him. Accordingly Gayasura stretched and developed his body and slept on the earth with his head in Gaya of Bihar (Siro Gaya), his Navel portion in Jajpur of Orissa (Nabhi Gaya) and his legs in Pithapuram of Andhra Pradesh (Pada Gaya). The yagna commenced and Gayasura was getting frustrated with the heat of sacred fire but was not moving his body. Six days have past and foreseeing the danger of Gayasura’s success of completing seven days, Lord Shiva took the form of a rooster and crowed at midnight. Assuming it as a wake up call in the morning Gayasura woke up and the Yagna got destroyed. Then the three Brahmins revealed their original form and Lord Vishnu told Gayasura that now he had to be killed and accordingly stepped his foot on the chest of Gayasura and subdued him. There is also another version “As Gayasura started getting disturbed the Deities kept a big stone called Dharmashila on the head of Gayasura and all of them stood on it. Besides they also requested Lord Maha Vishnu to keep his foot on the stone so that he would not get up. Accordingly Lord Vishnu stepped on him with his foot and Gayasura started slowly succumbing to the pressure.” Before killing Lord Vishnu granted him Mukthi and gave him a boon that his body would become a sacrosanct place for performing sacred rites for departed souls and the place would get immortalized in his name. On request of Gayasura He also gave a boon that who ever perform ancestral rites at this place and offer Pindas on his body site their ancestors would get salvation besides the people performing the rites and touching the spot. There is also a belief that Lord Maha Vishnu while answering one of Gayasura’s queries had said that the day Pindas stop falling in his mouth that day he can get up. But since then there is a continuous flow of Pindas falling at this spot and there is no stop to the rituals. It is the same foot print of Lord Maha Vishnu that is being worshipped today and on which sacred Pindas are being offered by the pilgrims after performing ancestral rites at this place. The place became famous as Gaya or Gayasirsha where all the Deities including the Trinity Lords reside always. Legend related to Dharmashila There was a sage by name Marichi who was the son of Lord Brahma who got married to a person by name Dharmavratha. One day she was washing her husband Marichi’s feet after he returned from forest. At that time Lord Brahma appeared there suddenly. Dharmavratha was in a fix as to whom to attend first. Finally she decided to attend to Lord Brahma first. This action angered sage Marichi and he cursed her of becoming a stone. Dharmavratha got very much disturbed with her husband’s action and started praying Lord Maha Vishnu who appeared in front of her. Dharmavratha requested Lord Vishnu to reverse the curse given by her husband. Since Marichi was a very powerful sage, Lord Vishnu told her that the curse could not be reversed. Instead it would be converted into a boon by making the stone very sacred and celestial to all the Gods and also ensure that all the Gods reside in it. This was the same stone that was kept on the body of Gayasura when he was killed, on which Lord Vishnu had stepped with his foot. By the presence of all Deities in it the stone became very sacred and celestial to be known as Dharmashila. It is said that even a touch of this Dharmashila at Gaya Kshetra in Vishnupada Temple would result in salvation. Legend related to Gaya Mahatmya (Significance of ancestral rites at Gaya) In olden times there lived a sage by name Dhaibhya who once went to Gaya Kshetra and performed sacred rites (Pinda Pradhana) to his forefathers with utmost devotion and after that started doing penance at this place. One day while he was doing penance a cosmic plane appeared before him and a divine person got down from it and asked him why was he doing this penance? Then the sage Dhaibhya in reply asked the cosmic person to disclose his details. The cosmic person told the sage that he was the Brahma Manasa Puthra and brother of Rudra called Sanathkumara who lives in one of the urdhva lokas (Jano loka). He further said, O’ Sage “you have performed Pinda Pradhana at Gaya Kshetra with the result the entire Brahma Vamsa got the benefit and I have come here to bless you and show my affinity towards you.” On further questioning by sage as to how his action had benefited, Sanathkumara started narrating an incident related to Gaya Mahatmya. In olden times there lived a king called Vishala who was a highly spiritual and religious minded person ruling his kingdom in Dharma Marga. His only shortfall was lack of children. On being advised by his purohits the king went to Gaya Kshetra and performed sacred rites to his forefathers (Pinda Dana, Thila Tharpana). While doing so there appeared three persons in the sky who were in three different colours (white, red and black) and they started glaring at the King with love and affection. On being asked the white coloured person started telling that, “he was his father, the red coloured person was his grand father who had committed lot of sins while he was alive and the black coloured person was his great grand father who also had committed similar worst sins during his life time. Due to this they were suffering in the hell. Because of good deeds done, I have (white coloured person) acquired the heavenly status.” Now, due to your visit to the Gaya Kshetra and performing sacred rites (Pinda daana) your grand father and great grand father have been released from the hell and have joined me in the heaven. Thus you are responsible for the liberation of your forefathers from the hell by performing Pinda Pradhana and Tharpana at Gaya Kshetra. Now we are happily going to Pitru Loka and have come here to see you and bless you. After this incident the king Vishala returned to his kingdom and soon was blessed with a son. Hence, this place (Gaya) has acquired lot of significance and Lord Maha Vishnu holding mace in his hand is residing here. Thus spoke Sanathkumara to the sage Dhaibhya and disappeared. Legend of Sita Devi's Curse to Phalgu River The story goes like this. During the Ramayana Lord Sri Rama along with his consort Goddess Sita Devi and his brother Lakshmana visited Gaya Kshetra for performing sacred rites to his forefathers (Dasaratha and others). While the brothers were taking bath Sita Devi was sitting on the banks of the river and playing with sand. Suddenly Dasaratha (father of Sri Rama) appeared out of the sand and asked Sita Devi to offer Pindam. While Sita Devi asked him to wait till his sons come back and offer Pindam in traditional way, Dasaratha was not prepared to wait. Instead he asked Sita Devi to offer him the Pindam made up of sand that was in her hand. With no other option available Sita offered Dasaratha the Pindam made up of Sand with five witnesses to her action. The witnesses were Phalgu River, Akshaya Vatam, a Brahmin, a Cow and a Tulasi Plant. In those days ancestors were arriving personally to collect their share of sacred rites. When Sri Rama returned and started the rituals his father Dasaratha did not appear and he wondered as to why. Sita then told him as to what has happened and when Sri Rama did not believe she asked the witnesses to tell the truth. None but the Akshaya Vat told the truth to Sri Rama.In her anger Sita cursed the other four to the effect that the river Phalgu henceforth would not have water at Gaya, the Cow would no longer be worshipped from the front, there would be no Tulasi Plants in Gaya and Gaya Brahmins would never get satisfied and would always crave for more and more. Since Akshayavata revealed the truth Sita Devi blessed her that thenceforth who ever comes to Gaya for performing sacred rites would also perform the Pinda Pradanam at the site of Akshaya Vata. Other stories related to Gaya It is said that when the demon Gayasura was killed by Lord Maha Vishnu the body was cut into three parts out of which the upper portion had fallen at Gaya (Bihar) called Siro Gaya or Seersha Gaya, the middle portion had fallen at Jajpur (Orissa) called Nabhi Gaya and the bottom portion had fallen at Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh) called Paada Gaya. As per another script the three places are Siro Gaya (Kapali Gaya) at Badrinath, Nabhi Gaya at Naimisharanya and the Paada Gaya at Gaya (near Patna in Bihar). It is said that as per mythology, there are five Gaya Kshetras. They are Pithru Gaya (Siro Gaya) at Gaya (Bihar) on the banks of river Phalgu, Mathru Gaya at Siddhpur (Gujarat), Nabhi Gaya at Jajpur (Orissa) on the banks of Vaitharani river, Paada Gaya at Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh) and Kapali Gaya at Badrinath. It is believed and said that Lord Parashurama (Dynamic Avathara of Lord Vishnu) had performed Pinda daan to his mother at Siddhpur. Conclusion Gaya is one of the great places of pilgrimage in India and has attained special sanctity among the Hindus and Hindu religion who strongly believe that it is incumbent on every Hindu to visit Gaya and make offerings to the departed souls of his ancestors. Mythologically described as the last among the three pillars in the “Holy Bridge to the Heaven” and praised as the most sacred place for ancestral rituals, the city Gaya has existed since time immemorial with its traditions of ancestral rites.